Boy, Protected
by KittyBits
Summary: AU. His name isn't Spencer and this certainly isn't Vegas, but Not-Spencer always admired the quiet life and now he really wished the very attractive police officer would leave him alone before his fragile world comes tumbling down. MATURE. SLASH. M/R
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Did I tell you guys that I bought the fifth season on DVD a bit back, but that's as close as I get to owning everybody's favorite crime show.**

**Author's Note: And Kitty is back with a new Sperek multi-chapter! Who would have thought :O You should know that Rayne McKenna played a starring in role in the process that was writing these seven chapters, which I have finished writing and edited and stuff. I literally wrote this just so I could have her fawning over how good it was. And she did. So now you'll get a piece of it too :) I don't know at what rate I'll update, it'll probably depend a lot on the response it receives. So yeah. (it means that if you want to get the next chapter sooner you'll have to review, I'm not saying that I won't post until I get a certain amount of reviews, but y'all know it's nicer to update if someone actually reads your stuff).**

**I'll stop now. **

**Please read on!**

It was everything Spencer had expected it to be.

The walls were that sort of white that probably had a fancy name and didn't hurt your eyes if you looked at them while they were sunlit. The couch was big enough that someone could sleep on it and not be too uncomfortable and sported a neutral sandy-color that matched the armchair and the patterned cushions. There was a big bookcase filled with books and DVD cases. He had read about half the books, the non-fictional ones but hadn't seen any of the movies.

He put his almost empty messenger back on the coffee table and looked around in the living room of his new house with a silent resigned sigh.

"I'll leave you then," said a man behind him and Spencer turned around with a reserved smile. "I'll be waiting for your call. Eight sharp or you'll be in trouble."

Spencer nodded and followed the other to the front door.

"I'll see you around then, Jasper," the man said with his gaze firmly fixed on Spencer who nodded again and straightened his posture slightly.

Jasper. He was Jasper now. Jasper Gordon.

"See you, Bob," he said and closed the door. He watched Bob walk to his car through the window next to the door. Bob stuffed his hand in his pocket and fished out his car keys. He made a certain move and for a moment Spencer could see the gun holster at Bob's hip. He looked away, noting that his heart was beating faster than usual.

He went into his living room and picked up his bag from table before starting to explore his new 'home'. The kitchen was a lot bigger than what he was used to or needed, but the coffee maker looked brand new and when he opened the cabinets he found several bags of his favorite coffee brand.

The bathroom had green and white tiles and green towels. The guest room was light blue, with a single bed and a small dresser. There wasn't much master over the master bedroom, only a bigger than usual bed and a wall of closet doors. There were a mirror on the inside of one of them and clothes stuffed on every shelf.

He had watched it be put there when they moved him in.

He hadn't participated actively, only by shrugging when asked where he wanted things and signing all the papers Bob had brought him.

The bedspread had a Zen-like pattern in gray nuances and the mattress was soft when he sat on the bed. The bag hit the floor with a soft thump and Spencer flipped to his stomach and inhaled the smell of clean bedding.

It smelt just that – clean.

Just like the entire house.

He left the bed and walked to the kitchen where Bob had left two letters and a folder with all the details to Spencer's new life. Everything was in it, a description of his new job at the local library, the deed to the house, a driver's license, a full description of his past.

Everything was just as perfect as the house.

The coffee maker stood a few feet away and tempted Spencer with its virginal look so he found one of the bags of coffee and started making the first cup in his new home, in his new life.

He took the cup with him when he retraced his first step in the new one floor villa. He went to stand at the window in the living room and looked out at the street and the houses surrounding his. All so neat and tidy. All with perfect lawns and well-kept flower beds.

He didn't know if he hated it or loved it.

He didn't know for how long he'd stay.

He didn't feel like a Jasper.

xXx

Every detail was on a sheet of paper in the folder so Spencer actually knew everything his kind neighbors told him when they visited him to welcome him to the neighborhood. It was different, though, when people told it. He found that he preferred being told than to just read it.

He still knew more than they thought he did.

Jennifer "JJ" LaMontagne had given up her successful career to take care of her and her husband, William LaMontagne's son, Henry after he was born. They were Spencer's neighbors to the right.

To the left lived Eric Spicer and his daughter Ellie. Ellie's mother had abandoned the small family to travel around Europe. She now lived in California. Eric didn't know that.

On the other side of Will and JJ lived Kevin, a tech assistant at a big firm in downtown DC. He had a crush on Penelope Garcia, who was Spencer's new colleague at the library. She happened to also JJ's best friend and Henry's godmother.

Across from Spencer lived Emily and David Rossi. Only Spencer knew that David was in fact twenty three years older than Emily and that he had made a fortune on writing crime mysteries happening in suburbia. Emily was a cop and had meet JJ through her old job. They had girl nights out with Penelope every other Friday.

And the Rossi's right lived the couple Elle and Louise. Elle was having an affair and Louise was actually from Canada and married to a man she had met when she was in her twenties.

To the Rossi's left lived the Hotchner's. Aaron preferred to be called Hotch and worked at the same police station as Emily. He was also in love with her. Haley, Hotch's wife, was busy denying the truth and taking care of their son Jack.

The person Spencer liked the most was probably JJ, who had a motherly air that comforted him with an ease that some times unnerved him. A close second was Penelope Garcia, who seemed to have a new pet name for him every day.

He had felt very perceptive when he realized Hotch's unfortunate infatuation. It wasn't in the profile in the folder like most of his secret knowledge was, instead he had noticed Hotch's behavior during a small garden party JJ had thrown to invite Spencer to the neighborhood (she had even made a cake saying 'Welcome Jasper' to which Spencer had been seconds away from asking who this Jasper person was) and after thinking about it for a while it all seemed so immensely obvious.

But he liked it. The people was pleasant and the surroundings were nice. Very neat and tidy. His job with Penelope – or Mistress of Public Library Software as she sometimes called herself – was fulfilling and while she took care of all things including technology he had quickly taken to keeping the rows of books and music organized.

He had the entire content of the library memorized by his second week.

Everything was so predictable and went according to plan.

He would get up at 7.45 each morning and do his morning routine before leaving for work where they opened at ten. He'd be home at three on the short days and seven on the longer and he'd always bring a stack of books that he'd stack in his living room and read when he had a vacant moment. At eight sharp every evening he called Bob and they would chat for a while before ending the call after which Spencer would do his night ritual and go to bed. With a stack of books. He turned off his lights at 11.45 and were mostly asleep by midnight.

He spent most of his weekends reading or going to DC to explore the sights and he had had dinner with LaMontagne's on a few occasions. JJ had taken to call him Jazz after gushing to him about a book series for a full fifteen minutes. Apparently one of the characters in the book series had the same name as him.

Spencer was very interested in having a talk to the person who had decided his first name. Last name too, after Kevin so kindly pointed out that he shared that with a brand of Gin.

Someone somewhere were having tons of fun on his expense.

And he still really didn't feel like a Jasper.

But at least he liked his life.

He was a sucker for routine.

Therefore it wasn't with the most fond feelings Spencer rose from his sitting position in the spot of sunlight on his porch one night a couple of months after moving in.

He had sat there for a good half hour with a new physics book lying untouched beside him as he tried to suck up the warmth bestowed upon him by the last sunbeams. It felt like the sun kissed his face in the warm breeze that would tousle his hair and make the leaves on his cherry tree rustle comfortingly. The air smelt like freshly cut grass and smoke from people's barbecues.

He was in the middle of contemplating going inside to fix himself some dinner when he heard something from LaMontagne's garden.

Now, Spencer wasn't at all what could be characterized as a nosy neighbor and it wasn't curiosity that made him stand and sneak up to the fence.

He did it because he had told Henry – who was shyly hiding behind his face in his mother's shoulder – happy birthday before they left to have dinner at a family friendly restaurant to celebrate.

He did it because he felt is as his duty as a good neighbor and a friend of JJ's to see if someone was trying to break into their home while they were away. He was a private person but she had been so heart-warmingly open and accepting of him and he just wanted to return the favor.

It still took a considerable gathering of nerve before he peaked over the edge of the fence and eyed the strange man who was doing something too technical with some planks for Spencer to know just exactly what.

It took mustering all his courage to clear his voice and say, "Just what exactly are you doing in Will and JJ's garden?" in a loud and clear voice.

The man jumped and dropped the power drill he had been operating.

"Shit!" He looked over at Spencer. "Damn, you really surprised me there,man," he said with a carefree smile. "Would you mind helping me out here? I can't let go of these to pick up the drill – they'll fall on me."

"Please answer my question," Spencer insisted, not moving from the safety behind the fence.

The man looked at the planks he was holding above his head and back to Spencer. "I'm building a swing set. What does it look like?" He had an attractive smile.

Spencer ignored it. "Why are you doing this in Will and JJ's garden?"

"Because they asked me to. It's a birthday present for Henry."

It sounded legit but Spencer couldn't help the nagging feeling of doubt that always got the better of him.

"How can I be sure you aren't lying to me?"

"Why should I lie?"

"Hey guys."

"Hey Kevin," Spencer and the man said simultaneously as Kevin passed them slowly with his bicycle.

"Kevin," Spencer called after him when he realized he had greeted both of them.

"Jasper?" Kevin said and stopped his bike.

"Do you know this man?"

"Sure, that's Derek." Spencer looked back blankly. "Derek Morgan? Works with Hotch and Emily down at the station? Penelope's best friend? Has a dog named Clooney?" Spencer shook his head. "How come you've never met before, Derek spends almost all his spare time at some house here?"

"I spent my vacation in Chicago."

"Oh... How's your mother?"

"Oh, she's fine. Actually she told me to say hi."

"That's nice of her!" Kevin and Derek seemed awfully friendly and Spencer felt a certain amount of heat creep to his cheeks. He hoped dearly that he wasn't blushing. "Well, I really have to go – they called for me to come fix a problem down at the office. Apparently one of the executives thought it was a good idea to check out a penis enlargement advertisement." Kevin waved cheerily before climbing back on his bike and resumed riding.

"I never understood his things for bikes," the man who apparently was called Derek said and smiled to Spencer. "I mean, with his fondness for electronics I would have pegged him for one of the hybrid-enthusiasts."

Spencer didn't reply but went into the garden where he picked up the drill on the ground. He very pointedly ignored just how tight Derek's black t-shirt were and how his muscled flexed when he accepted the tool.

"Thanks man," Derek said and smiled.

"No problem," Spencer muttered and went back to his house. He picked up the book and was just about to walk inside when he sighed deeply and turned back to look at the man working in the yard next door. "Sorry for scaring you," he called and Derek waved him of with a grin.

Spencer decided that he would forget about Derek and the surge of desire he felt when he had seen him for the sake of keeping things simple.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: LOL.**

**Author's Note: This is by far the shortest chapter, one of the others are actually a thousand words longer :O Le gasp! **

**Just to remind you - reviews mean faster updates :)**

The library was completely empty spare a woman and her son who was perusing a shelf of picture books. The woman nodded her greeting to Derek who smiled and winked at the boy. The counter was abandoned so he let himself into the back room.

"Hey Sexy, you in here?" he called into the room while he closed the door behind him.

"Excuse me?" a flustered voice sounded and a tall man entered the room and narrowed his eyes at the intruder. "You," he said coldly and Derek almost flinched.

"Sorry, I was looking for Penny. Is she here?"

"Yes, she is." Jasper looked into the room behind him. "Stop giggling and come out, Penelope. It's very uncomfortable to begin with and you're just making this worse."

Penelope Garcia excited the very small office room and snickered when she saw Derek. "You called Baby Cheeks sexy!" she exclaimed and doubled over in a new fit of giggles.

"Well," Derek said with a shrug, "he is quite the pretty boy." Jasper's cheeks quickly gained a healthy rosy color. "Your ready to go to lunch?"

"Sure am, Mr. Hot Stuff!" Penelope took a big red handbag from the table in the corner and waved goodbye to Jasper. "I'll be back in less than an hour, cutie pie. Don't make any troubles while I'm gone."

"Have fun, Pretty Boy," Derek said with a wink before he left after Penelope.

xXx

"So, what did you want to meet about?" JJ asked and blew on her coffee. She watched Penny intently over the edge of her cup.

"Jasper," the redhead said and took a cookie from the plate between them.

"Yeah?" JJ said and lifted an eyebrow inquiringly. "What about him?"

"A certain somebody have been asking questions about him," Penelope said and a sly smile curled her lips. "A mutual friend of ours."

"Is that so?" JJ asked and wondered why she felt like a character from a bad gangster movie. "Which of our friends would that be?"

"A chocolaty one."

"Derek?"

"Most certainly." Penny devoured another two cookies while JJ waited for her to offer more information. She didn't offer anything.

"What kinds of questions did he ask?"

"Oh, you know," Penelope said with a shrug even though her eyes twinkled. "Personal ones."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"Which exactly?"

"If he was gay."

"He asked if Jasper was gay?"

"He did." The two women shared grins and sipped from their coffees.

"You told him yes, didn't you?" JJ asked, suddenly worried.

"Of course I did!"

"Good."

"I wouldn't lie about that, you know!" Penelope looked a bit affronted.

"I was suddenly worried that you didn't know."

"How could I not?"

"I know, he just has this gayness about him-"

"-in that non-twink-y way. I know, I've noticed too," Penny said with a wink.

"I love it when you finish my sentences."

"It is quite magical." The sipped coffee and ate cookies in silence for a few minutes before Penelope finally broke the silence. "So what do we do?"

"I'm thinking barbecue-party."

"I'll bring the red wine."

xXx

Penelope winked cheekily as she handed Derek a glass of red wine and pointed him back out to the back yard. She hummed cheerily while pouring wine into glasses and eating peanuts as Derek shuffled out into the warm August evening. Will nodded to him from the barbecue, busy keeping track with the steaks and sausages.

JJ waved him over from garden table where she was arranging plates and cutlery in neat stacks next to a big bowl of mixed salad.

"Derek! It's so nice of you to come, I haven't seen you since forever," she said and flung an arm around him in a half hug. "How have you been? And thank you so much for fixing the swing for Henry, I didn't know who else to call."

"It was no trouble at all and I'm good. My mother says hi by the way."

"That's so sweet of her!" Derek detected how JJ's eyes suddenly twinkled and realized he should be worried. "Oh, Jasper! Hi, come over here please. Derek I don't think I've introduced you to our new neighbor, Jasper Gordon."

Derek turned slightly and recognized the man walking towards them. Jasper slowed his approach down when he recognized Derek too.

"We've met," he muttered and kept Derek's gaze when he shuffled up next to JJ.

"Oh, good," JJ continued, not at all affected by Jasper's dismissive attitude. "Derek works down at my old station with Hotch and Emily. And he and Penelope go way back. Derek, Jasper works down at the library too. Oh wait, there's Emily and David, I have to go say hi – you two just... Get to know each other!" She flashed the men a big smile before leisurely sauntering over to the newly arrived couple.

"So," Derek said after a moment of awkward silence.

"Yeah," Jasper agreed and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"So where are you from?"

"Las Vegas."

"Vegas?" Jasper nodded. "Why did you chose to come all the way to Washington?"

"I got the money and wanted a change," Jasper explained with a shrug of his shoulders. "Are you from here?"

"No, I'm from Chicago originally."

"Chicago? That's pretty far from here too."

"Well, yeah. It got a bit uncomfortable when I came out so I decided to move away."

Jasper had a funny blank look of confusion on his face. "Came out?" he said and narrowed his eyes as in thought.

"I'm gay," Derek elaborated and Jasper's cheeks reddened. "As I've heard you are too."

"Who told you that?" Jasper asked disbelievingly.

"Penny did."

"How did she know? I never told her!"

"It's pretty obvious actually."

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't check out JJ's ass when she left us."

"Because she's married."

"And a woman."

"A married woman." Jasper looked at his feet a bit sheepishly. "Yeah, okay. I'm gay too. I don't usually advertise it."

"I want you to go out with me."

"What?"

"Do you want to go out some time?" Derek plastered his most charming smile on his face, but Jasper looked suspicious.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," he said slowly, as if tasting the words.

"And why wouldn't it? You're gay, I'm gay – we should do gay things together." Jasper blushed again. Derek decided that he liked the look on him.

"All the people I know is friends of yours. If it didn't work out it would be very awkward for both us and them."

"We'll just have to make it work then, won't we?" Derek asked and smiled when Jasper's mouth twitched and he rolled his eyes.

"Fine!"

"Great." They smiled to each other and Derek took a sip of his wine while Jasper's eyes were glued to his lips.

Closer to the house Penelope waggled her eyebrows at JJ who tapped the side of her nose with a knowing wink. She then moved on to telling people that the steaks were done and that the bread had gone cold.

xXx

_How To Save Your Relationship In Seven Weeks_

Emily turned the books and quickly perused the text on the back. She bit her lip thoughtfully and turned the book again to look at the front page where a beautiful couple laughed freely.

Was seven weeks really enough to save a relationship?

She put the book back on the self and took the one beside it. She would've never thought they had made a _Relationship For Dummies _too, even if it did make an awful lot of sense. She was chewing on her bottom lip when she put the book back on its place and took a step back with a sigh.

"Hi Emily, do you need some help?"

She spun around so fast her purse hit her on the butt and her heart raced from surprise and embarrassment when she saw the young, shyly smiling man.

"Oh, hi Jasper," she said breathlessly, "I was just... um... looking!"

"If you tell me what exactly you're looking for I'd love to help you find it," Jasper offered and tilted his head against the bookcase behind her.

"I really don't need your help," Emily assured him. "I was just looking for John Grisham when I noticed the Dummy book and I thought it was funny and that I should take a look... Who am I kidding here? Listen, Jasper, if everything in a relationship is going wrong but you still want to save it, what do you do?" She felt very sure that her desperation was audible in her voice and that her eyes pleaded the younger man who cleared his voice nervously and shifted his weight.

"I don't know," he said after more nervous fidgeting. "Talk about it with your partner?"

"I was kind of hoping there would be a book that could give me a few pointers on how to do it."

"I'm afraid our _How To Magically Fix Your Failing Marriage_ is out at the moment, but we probably have some books that address the..." Emily watched Jasper as he trailed off while staring out the window, apparently in deep thought.

"That address the what?" she asked after a moment of silence and Jasper snapped out of his thoughts. He frowned confused at the window and then Emily. "Is something wrong, Jasper?"

"No, I just... I though I saw someone I know," he explained and scratched his scalp.

"Really?" Emily asked.

"I was probably mistaken." He smiled apologetically and resumed his instruction on how she could find books addressing the different aspects of a relationship. There were several shelves on communication between couples, guides on how to live with a shared economy, books addressing couples with different opinions about kids and upbringing, and a big collection on books about sex in all its aspects.

Emily liked the way Jasper blushed slightly when he told her about that department. He was so sweet and innocent at times, and she hated the nervous way he would glance at the windows every once now and then. He didn't deserve to have a care in the world.

Before she left with her enormous collection of books she thanked Jasper for helping her to the extend that he had and wished him luck on the date he and Derek were going on later that evening.

He was left a stuttering, blushing mess and Emily felt so very, very old.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I'm not even.**

**Author's note: And then it was time for chapter 3! I don't know when I'll be posting the next, perhaps tomorrow if you ask nicely perhaps not until Saturday as I'm going to be out of town (starting law school with a whole lot of meetings and drinking). I just don't really know how much I'll be able to be around my PC.  
>But remember to review if you want it tomorrow, my sweeties. <strong>

When Spencer opened the door he found that he really didn't care what Derek was wearing, he just knew that he looked hot enough to devour. His body agreed with the conclusions of his mind as it sent a rush of desire down to his groin.

"We're not having sex tonight," he told Derek as much as himself and watched reverently as Derek's smile widened even more.

"I didn't take you as the type to put out on the first date," he said and winked.

Spencer wanted to prove him wrong.

"So what are we doing?" he asked on their way to Derek's car.

"Since we agreed on doing something casual I though we could go to my favorite burger joint and get a double cheese and bacon and then go see a movie?" Spencer nodded and put on his seat belt. Derek smiled and started the car. "Since I'm the one inviting you out I figured you got to choose what movie we should see?"

"Captain America," Spencer said without missing a beat and the black man beside him chuckled.

Spencer thought he ought to moan instead.

"Captain America," Derek said and chuckled again. "Comic book fanatic are we?"

Spencer shrugged. "Chris Evans is cute," he said with a discreet glance out of the corner of his eye to gouge Derek's reaction.

"Bride's Maids it is then," the other man said and grinned at Spencer. "I can't have you swooning over some white guy with a shield while I'm sitting next to you – you hurt my poor fragile ego!"

Spencer snorted.

The burger joint they went to was decent and the burger was really good, but so big Spencer had to leave almost half his burger. Derek greeted several of the other customers and seemed to know the names of the entire staff and then moved on to tell Spencer how the cops usually went there after their shifts ended to hang out and chill for a while before going home. He winked when their food arrived and Spencer had to fight the urge to stared star-eyed at Derek while he ate.

He was just so incredibly attractive.

The drive to the cinema was short and Derek entertained Spencer by telling him anecdotes about the job and succeeded in making him laugh several times.

When they arrived and bought their tickets Spencer hit Derek on the shoulder when he realized they had tickets for the back row. He didn't pull back when Derek took his hand a few minutes into the film and preceded to hold it for the rest of the movie, drawing circles and odd patterns on the back of it with his thumb.

They agreed that The Hangover Part 2 wasn't as good as the first one even if Spencer was lying through his teeth.

He hadn't seen the first one.

Bradley Cooper was reasonably attractive though.

Not as much as Derek though.

His heart sank when he turned his cell phone back on and noticed three frantic text messages.

"I have to go make a phone call," he told Derek when they came onto the street outside. "Just stay here and I'll be right back." He hurried around the corner into a narrow alley and bit his lip while he waited for the call to connect.

"_Spencer?_"

"Bob, I'm so sorry! I forgot the time, please call the search team off. Did I mention I was sorry?"

"_If this happens again I won't be this easy on you, remember that._"

"I know, I'm so sorry, Bob. I'll... I'll call you early tomorrow? Twice even maybe?"

"_If you call me twice _I'll_ tell a certain someone where you're hiding_."

"Okay, so I'll call you once – right on the dot."

"_You do that, and now bugger off – I have to go tell the boys to dress down. You know how disappointed they get when I do that._"

"You do that. I'll talk to you tomorrow." The call was ended before he finished his promised and he pocketed his phone with a small sigh.

"Who's Bob?" a deep voice asked behind him.

Spencer spun around to face Derek who was watching him with a dark look.

This was his chance, he suddenly realized. This was the one chance he had to throw an insulted fit and tell Derek to go fuck himself and never talk to him again. He would leave him alone and Spencer would be able to continue his life undisturbed and as planned. With closed eyes, slowly dying from boredom,

"Bob's my uncle," he lied, the words falling off his tongue as soon as he thought of them. "He had a stroke and haven't been quite alright since, so he wants me to call him every night to make sure I'm alright, even if it's actually his way of making sure he won't end up dead and forgotten in his dumpy old apartment in Ohio. He's the only family I have left, even if he is quite the character so I do as he wants me to. He got nervous because I didn't call him at eight as I always do so I told him to call the search team off – it's... sort of a joke we have." Spencer stopped rambling when he realized Derek was smiling fondly.

"I have a really close relationship to my mother and my sisters too," he said when Spencer fell silent. "I understand you." He walked closer and raised his hand to slowly run his dry palm over Spencer's cold cheek.

He wished he would caress him some more.

He smiled.

"So, are you going to drive me home?" he asked and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"Do I get a good night kiss?" Derek asked and pulled one hand from his pocket to envelope it in his warm one. "Because I have this rule against driving anybody home that I don't get to kiss." He winked and the started towards the parking lot where they had parked the car.

"I'm not sure," Spencer said and decided against entwining their fingers. "I have this rule to only kiss men if there's a magical moment."

"Of course you'd be a romantic," Derek said with a chuckle and unlocked the car.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Spencer asked from the other side of the vehicle.

"Actually," Derek said and leaned against the door while keeping his eyes fixed on Spencer's face, "I find it to be very endearing. It fits you to be a romantic." He opened the door and slid into the car.

"I don't know if I should be flattered or insulted," Spencer admitted when they got out on the main street.

"You should be flattered, definitely," Spencer looked over at the other man who looked away from traffic to meet his gaze for a moment. "I'm driving you home without a promise to get a kiss – practically compromising with the very principle I live by."

"Don't you think you're exaggerating?"

"Maybe just a little." Derek smiled at the street in front of them and they fell silent for the rest of the trip.

"I'll walk you to your door," Derek offered when the pulled up to the curb at Spencer's house and he turned in his seat to fix Derek with a narrow-eyed look.

"I'm not going to invite you in for coffee or anything, it will genuinely only be you walking me to my door."

"I know," Derek said and unbuckled and Spencer sighed and did the same before getting out of the car. "I've had a really good time tonight," Derek told him on their way to the house.

"Me too," Spencer told him and fought a smile when their hands brushed against each other as they walked.

"What would you have done tonight if we haven't gone out?" Derek asked when they stopped in front of the door.

"I would probably have read a couple of books then gone to bed where I would have read some more before falling asleep."

"That sounds exciting."

"It is," Spencer assured him with a small smile. He couldn't quite decide if he liked this 'gazing into each other's eyes'-thing they were doing. "But thank you for showing me a good time anyway," he said and closed the distance between them to wrap his arms around Derek's broad chest.

Derek wasn't late to engulf Spencer in his arms too, and he pressed the lighter man against him and buried his head in the nook of Spencer's neck.

Spencer may or may not have silently sniffed Derek's.

Then they pulled back.

"I'll see you around?" Derek asked and took a step back to give Spencer room to unlock his door.

"Sure," he said and nodded before slipping in and closing the door behind him.

He was still smiling when he woke up the next day.

xXx

"I went on a date a few nights ago," a familiar voice said behind Spencer as he shoved a copy of _Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban_ back on it's place on the shelf. He didn't turn around but simply hummed his interest and tried to wrestle in a second copy. "I think it went pretty well."

"Really?" he asked when he sensed Derek wanted a different response from him than just a hum.

"Yeah, I took him to my favorite diner, bought him the best burger in town, made him laugh a couple of times, held his hand when we went to see a movie, he told me about his family, I drove him home, and he hugged me when I walked him to his door."

"That does sound pretty successful," Spencer agreed and smiled at the bookcase.

"There's only one problem," Derek said and leaned against the bookcase next to Spencer. "I wanted to kiss him, not hug him when I walked him to his door."

"Maybe he isn't the type who kiss on the first date," Spencer offered and finally looked up at Derek. He was smiling down at him.

"You know, usually I'm kind of the 'Love 'em and leave 'em'-type when it comes to relationship," he admitted.

"That doesn't really sound reassuring," Spencer muttered and gave up his quest to force another Harry Potter novel onto the small shelf and instead tried to make room for it on the one below.

"I don't mean for it to be so, it's just that this guy, the one I went on a date with?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm actually interested in more than his adorable ass."

"Is that so?" Spencer had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. Admittedly he wanted Derek mostly for his body, but it was flattering that the other wanted him for more than just the physical. And he did seem like a really nice guy.

"It is. I've met him on different occasions – he's a friend of several of my friends – and he actually has this really nice personality too."

"Sounds like a complete package."

"He kinda is, I think."

"But you wanted to kiss him?"

"Yeah, I'm a sucker for stuff like that – I'm a physical man. But it's like, I don't want to kiss just anyone now, then I would just go dancing somewhere and find some cute club thing. Right now I just want to kiss him." Derek sank down to the floor next to Spencer who gave up trying to fit the thick novel anywhere and put it on the shelf next to its proper place, where several Terry Pratchett books were. He met Derek's gaze.

"Maybe you should ask him out again and see if he's the type to kiss on the second date?" he offered Derek who returned his tentative smile.

"Good idea. Do you want to go for lunch, Pretty Boy?" he asked.

"Actually, I already ate my packed lunch. Sorry," he said and picked at a loose thread on the hem of his cardigan. "Maybe some other time?"

"I'd like that," Derek said. He stayed on the ground, watching Spencer who eventually looked up from his fidgeting and met his dark gaze. "Can I kiss you anyway?" Derek asked after a while of staring into each other's eyes and Spencer found that the only movement he was capable of doing was nodding his head. The small smile that had stayed on Derek's face for what seemed as their entire conversation grew before he slowly leaned forward. Just before the lips met his eyes fell closed and Spencer watched in breathless anticipation as he came the last inch before his own eyes closed at the first soft contact between them.

His lips were so very soft on Spencer's as he brushed them against each other before adding more pressure and sucking Spencer's lower lip slightly into between his lips.

He was eternally disappointed when Derek pulled back and the lovely feeling stopped.

"Well, that was nice," he murmured so very close to Spencer's mouth that he couldn't help but open his eyes and silently beg Derek to close the space between them.

"Yes it was," a breezy voice said somewhere to the left of them and both men snapped their heads at the sound to fix Penelope with each their wordless plea to get the hell away. "Derek, you're taking me out for lunch and telling me everything about your little date last night. Go wait in your car while I have a word with our dear Jasper, here," she commanded instead.

Derek sighed and got to his feet slowly before extending a hand to help Spencer up too. He gave his hand a small squeeze before letting it go with a wink.

Spencer and Penelope watched Derek walk away in silence. Then she turned around and squealed with a big excited grin on her face. "That has got to be the hottest thing I've ever seen! You two are just the _cutest_ couple in the happening ever! I can't believe I got a picture of that – how lucky can a girl be?"

"You took a picture of us?" Spencer asked wide-eyed. "Kissing?"

"Don't worry," Penelope assured him, "I've already sent you a copy on your e-mail. I just wanted a chance to say 'yay!' and tell you that if you break my Chocolate Adonis' heart I will break your legs and destroy your life." She grinned and Spencer felt slightly breathless from the threat. "Now I'll go tell Hot Stuff the same thing."

And then she left Spencer dazed and without words in the Fantasy section.

He turned around and stared at a copy of Diane Wynne Jones' Archer's Goon.

Then he touched his lips carefully with his fingertips and smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I'M GOING TO START SCHOOL TOMORROW! AAAAAAARGH!**

**Author's note: So, yeah... Here's the fourth chapter. Fifth is going up by Saturdat most likely. I just want all you reviewers to know that I love you and I'm sorry for not replying - my PC isn't agreeing with me on a lot lately. **

**So! friendship, a date and, (DonDonDON!) infidelity! **

"Tell me everything about your date," Penelope demanded when the waiter had given them their beverages. She sipped from her chocolate milkshake without taking her eyes off of Derek.

She liked her chocolate goodness.

This was like double chocolate.

"I'm not going to tell you anything," Derek teased and played with the straw in his Coke. He winked.

"You know I'm not going to let you _not_ tell me every single thing into the smallest detail. Start with what he was wearing. What were you wearing?"

"Come on, Baby Girl, I might be gay but I don't care about stuff like that, you know that! I had clothes on, he had clothes on, he looked... I wished we didn't have clothes on, okay?"

Penelope had stars in her eyes. "So did you end up with no clothes on?" she asked hoarsely.

Derek lifted a disbelieving eyebrow. "Do I look like the type to kiss and tell?"

"You _always_ kiss and tell me," Penelope whined. "Did you kiss him then?"

"I'm not going to tell you anything, Mama." Derek said and pulled the straw from his drink to twist it around his index finger. "I'm not going to tell you how cute he was when he had to give up half-way into his burger, how adorable he was when he laughed at my jokes, that he let me hold his hand when we watched the movie, or that the kiss you saw earlier was our first. Hopefully of many."

Penelope looked like she had gone to heaven and discovered it was stuffed with naked men and bowls of Hershey's Chocolate Kisses.

"So that kiss you aren't going to tell me about, how wasn't it?"

xXx

"Oh, hi Jasper," JJ said, surprise evident on her face. "What can I do for you?"

"Can I come in? I need to talk."

"Of course, please." Jasper followed her inside where she had a pot of coffee and two mugs ready for them. She had been secretly expecting him. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked when they were seated and Jasper had taken his first tentative sip of coffee.

"You know how Derek asked me out at the barbecue last week, after you just happened to remember we hadn't been formally introduced," Jasper said with a narrow-eyed look at her. JJ nodded and ignored his silent accusation. "We went on a date last night."

"That sounds nice," JJ said and blew on her coffee. "Will never takes me out anymore."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jasper muttered and JJ fought her smile.

"Don't be, I get to have sex regularly." She loved it when he blushed. "So, how did you date go?"

"Good, it was very nice. I like him."

"I sense a but?"

"But I don't think I should, you know... get involved with someone. Not now. At this point of my life."

"What makes you say that?" JJ asked with a frown. There were so much Jasper wasn't telling her, she could hear it in the hesitant way he spoke and see it in the way his mouth would open and close repeatedly while he searched for the right words.

"Because I'm completely new to town and still have to get settled?" he explained, although it sounded more like a question.

"Jazz, you've lived here for almost two months, the 'getting settled'-excuse doesn't count anymore. You should have used the 'I just got out of a bad relationship'-excuse instead. Then I might have actually believed you."

Jasper was silent for a while.

"So if I now say I just got out of a bad relationship before I moved, would you believe me?"

JJ glared at him. "Finish your coffee and go home and wait by your phone as you should be. You're a disgrace to all woman out there the way you're keeping a great guy like Derek at a feet's distance."

"Sorry," Jasper muttered into his coffee. "I did kiss him today though."

JJ's smile made her face almost split in half.

xXx

"So, is there any movie in particular that you wanted to see?" Derek asked and walked up to the bookcase stocked with DVD's. He started perusing the titles while Spencer went to the kitchen to find the bottle of red wine he had bought and two wine glasses.

"I asked you to come so you get to decide," he called as he pulled the corkscrew from a drawer.

"You have some nice movies," Derek called a moment after, "although I didn't peg you as a guy who would have a movie like Remember The Titans."

Spencer had no idea what it was about.

Nor who would forget the titans.

"I like diversity," he called and tried to hold both glasses in one hand in a way that ensured he wouldn't accidentally knock them together and break them.

"You have tons of documentaries though, I expected that." Spencer smiled and somehow managed to get a grip on the glasses that he was content with. "This look really good, we'll have to have some more movie nights so I get to see all your..." Spencer frowned when Derek quietened and quickly grabbed the bottle of wine in his free hand and walked back to the living room. Derek was standing with his back to him, staring at something in his hand.

"Derek?" Spencer said cautiously and put the bottle and glasses on the coffee table.

"You live here alone, right Jasper?" the other asked and Spencer felt his heart sink.

"Yeah?"

"So that means," Derek turned around and Spencer narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the mischievous grin on his face, "that this is _your _movie."

Spencer stared in horror at the DVD case in Derek's hand.

"Well," he said and wished he had something to drink. His mouth was awfully dry. "Yes, I guess?"

"_Why_?"

"JJ told me that one of the characters had the same name as me so I thought I should check it out," Spencer muttered and turned back to pour himself a glass of wine. He took a big gulp.

"Have you seen it then?" Derek asked and Spencer could feel the other man walk up behind him.

"Not yet," he admitted and hoped with all his might Derek wouldn't say what he thought he would.

"It's decided then, we're watching Twilight." The look of anguish on Spencer's face wasn't enough to make Derek change his mind and he hummed happily as he inserted the disk in th DVD player.

"I was surprised when you called and asked me over," Derek admitted halfway into the commercials.

"Why would you be that," Spencer asked and handed Derek the glass of wine he just poured him.

"You come of as being the more passive type," he explained and Spencer grimaced.

"You sound just like JJ now. I wanted to see you and since I do kiss on the second date I thought I just might do it thoroughly. That kiss in the library isn't enough to sate me by a long shot," he said nonchalantly and leaned into the couch next to Derek who had a strange mix of surprise and excitement shown on his face.

"Does that mean I get to make out?" he asked as a grin spread on his face.

"You sound like a teenager," Spencer deadpanned and navigated through the menu. "But yeah."

His eyes were forced from the screen almost before he finished starting the film and Derek's kiss were completely different from the kiss they had shared few days before. This one was hotter, wetter, more passionate, and with infinitely more tongue and clashing of teeth than their first chaste touch of lips in the library. Spencer only just managed to draw away from the kiss long enough to identify some constipated young man to be the illusive Jasper he had heard so much about and hated for being the source of his ridiculously unfitting name.

When they realized the movie had ended and that the music in the background was the menu's background music loop Derek had a hand up Spencer's shirt and they were grinding their denim clad erections together.

"How's your stand on sex on the second date," Derek whispered in Spencer's ear when he took a moment from lavishing his neck with wet kisses.

"No sex before at least the third date," Spencer murmured and his grip on Derek's hip tightened.

"As you might remember I made a compromise on my 'never drive anybody home who I don't get to kiss'-rule."

"A sign on poor strength of character," Spencer said and tried to stifle his grin. "Fortunately I did kiss you so I won't have to think less of you because of that."

"What are you doing on Friday?"

"In two days?" Derek nodded. "I don't know, you tell me."

"I'm... taking you out for dinner then home to meet Clooney and see my apartment. Sound good?"

"That sounds great," Spencer assured with a small smile.

"Good, now I'll just sit here in the other end of the couch while I wait for my raging hard on to deflate enough that I won't have to worry about accidentally breaking it while driving home."

Spencer later agreed with himself that Twilight wasn't a bad movie as long as you didn't have to watch it.

And that torturing Derek by kissing him breathless while saying goodbye was too pleasant to be called a chore.

xXx

His great mood lasted all the way to the next day and Spencer cheerily hummed along with a song he had heard on the radio during his coffee break when he relieved Penelope. She smiled and smacked his butt while walking past him to the back room.

He didn't feel offended.

Deciding that he would spend some time putting returned books back on the shelves he pushed the cart in front of him to the back where he waved to Jack Hotchner who was looking in comic books in the Kid Corner. He was absentmindedly wondering whether it was Hotch or Haley who was accompanying their son to the library when he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye end came to a dead halt.

And stared.

Open mouthed and horror stricken.

He cleared his voice and Hotch and Emily jumped back from each other, both discreetly wiping their mouths.

"What are you doing?" he asked in an angry whisper and glanced back to see if Jack had noticed anything, but the boy was deeply concentrated on the Spiderman comic he was reading.

"This isn't any of your business, Jasper," Hotch said and fixed Spencer with one of his infamous glares but Spencer shrugged it off, anger on Jack's behalf making him impervious to his attempt.

"Think about Jack before you go and do something you might end up regretting," he said through gritted teeth and Hotch's face tightened more than Spencer would have thought possible. He feared for a moment that Hotch was going to hit him but the man straightened and pushed his way past Spencer, leaving him to stare at Emily who was wide-eyed and pale.

"And I don't think this is the best way to make you and David's relationship better either, Emily," he said, but kept his anger toned down as he noticed the tears welling up in her eyes.

"He never touches me anymore," she said in a teary whisper and hid her eyes behind her hand. "He sleeps in the office and never even joins me for meals."

"Hotch is in love with you though, so it wouldn't be fair to him if you use him like this."

"I know," she admitted breathlessly and Spencer left the cart to go and placed a tentative hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "I just don't understand anything anymore."

"Well, Dave is a lot older than you and his libido probably isn't what it used to be while you're peaking sexually now-" Spencer stopped his scientific explanation when Emily fixed him with a terrified tear-filled look. "What I mean is that you should go home and really think about what you want. Consider all the possibilities, even those you think you're too old for and then do it."

"But I just want to be happy! Have a husband, get some kids, and watch them grow up." She wiped her eyes and smiled feebly. "I guess I just want my Will LaMontagne so I can have my Henrys." She elbowed Spencer playfully in the side and her smile grew and looked more sincere though still tearful. "I just want my personal Derek Morgan."

She took his hand and gave it a soft squeeze before walking around him and left him to blush in the sudden emptiness of the library.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: If Criminal Minds was mine I wouldn't be so effing broke, now would I?**

**Author's note: I'm drunk. Has been ever since Wednesday. I don't really have any money which is less than I need. But fortunately there's a whole bunch of awesome people in my group in school and a new chapter for your guys. And now things _really_ start to happen! Third date you know ;)**

It wasn't an unusual happening, this sudden feeling of paranoia.

Insecurity.

Fear.

Spencer knew the feelings as well as he knew himself and the statistics of every football team in America.

It didn't help him though, as he balled up in the corner next to his bed where he was out of sight from both the window's and the door's point of view. If anybody looked into the bedroom they would find it empty.

But if they performed a more thorough search they would see him as soon as they stepped into the room.

Spencer got up on elbows and knees and crawled to one of the closet doors almost soundlessly. He opened the door slowly listening intently for any sort of squeaking or creaking that could indicate somebody else was in his house. He slid into the closet and closed the door after him, pulling it towards him with his fingernails to make it get as tight as possible. It was impossible to close it completely and Spencer made a mental note to arrange some sort of handle on the inside of all his closet doors so they could be closed from the inside.

Locked too, preferably.

He would need to place some sort of weapon his closets too, he realized when he remembered just why he had hid behind the bed. His gun was hidden in his nightstand and therefore completely out of his reach if anyone entered the bedroom.

Why had he thought it was a good idea to hide in the closet anyway? If they searched the room they were bound to look in them at some point, probably just after looking on the other side of the bed and right before checking under it.

He had felt on edge ever since he saw Otto.

Or thought he did.

How could Otto be in Virginia anyway, he lived in Vegas like all the others.

Like he had not long ago.

Spencer shuttered and repeated to himself the odds that it had been Otto and not some stranger who happened to have the same haircut as him.

Then he told himself that Derek would laugh his ass off if he knew he was hiding in his closet like some child. It was only second to hiding under his cover if he was measuring how childish he was behaving.

He steeled himself before letting go of the closet door who opened slowly.

No audible reaction.

He peeked out.

No visible reaction either.

He crawled out and looked around carefully, listening closely for the sound someone breathing.

Nothing.

He told himself to stop being stupid and start getting ready for his date.

He had less than two hours.

xXx

Derek's hand was warm around his, big and warm and making Spencer's fingers tingle excitedly.

"Did you like your food, Pretty Boy?" Derek asked and Spencer nodded and smiled to the other man.

"It was good. Although I must admit I was expecting you to take me to somewhere new."

"What can I say, they make the best grub in this entire town and I really just wanted to show you off to all of my colleagues." There was a twinkle in Derek's eye as he said it that made Spencer smile and roll his eyes, but he sensed a note of earnestness that made him feel like floating.

"As long as you don't think I'm a cheap date, which all of you colleagues are going to think now that they've seen you take me to a diner _twice_," Spencer teased.

"I'll just tell them about all the expensive gifts and the way you boss me 'round the bedroom."

"Please stop talking about sex while we're outside," Spencer muttered and looked down at the pavement as they walked.

"Why? Do you get embarrassed?"

"Yes I do, I'm a very private person and if you don't turn down your cockiness I'll have to show you just why they say it takes two to tango," Spencer threatened making Derek laugh loudly and let go of his hand to wrap his arm around Spencer's shoulder instead.

"As good as I am at tangoing by myself," Derek said as they rounded a corner and started walking down a smaller street, "I'm a thousand times better when I have a partner." Spencer shook his head but felt a surge of excitement run through his body.

"Really?" he questioned but his voice was drowned out by a loud greeting from the other side of the road.

"Hey boss!"

Both men glanced over to see who was yelling and while Derek shrugged it off Spencer was suddenly unable to breath and could have sworn his heart had stopped beating.

He recognized those men.

The men walked up to the curb on the other side of the street and looked around to see if they could cross the street when Spencer finally had enough air to mutter a small, "Fuck," which made Derek stare shocked at him.

Spencer didn't deal with all the unspoken questions in Derek's eyes, he just grabbed his hand and forced the other man into a healthy jog.

"We need to get to the police station," he panted to Derek who frowned but nodded and started to guide Spencer down a series of alleys and poorly lit streets while he fought to keep running and breathing at the same time. He wasn't used to being so physical and every breath tore at his throat and soon his thighs were burning from exertion too.

Spencer glanced back every now and again to see if they were being followed.

"We're almost there," Derek said after a while and slowed their pace so Spencer got the opportunity to breath properly. "What was that all about?"

He hadn't seen the men for a while but shook his head at Derek's question, still too focused on not suddenly collapsing on the ground from lack of oxygen.

"Hey S! Wait up!"

"We _really _want to talk to you!"

Spencer glanced over his shoulder and Derek who felt his fear resumed running only fractions of a second after Spencer, leading him down the alley the were walking in around a corner to a street Spencer never had been to before where they had to dodge an elderly couple with a dog and two young women chatting amiably. Then they turned another corner and Spencer recognized the facade of the police station, the adrenaline pressing him to sprint the last thirty feet to his haven.

He stopped with the door in his hand and looked back at their followers one last time.

"We know someone who's looking for you, Boss," one of them called. "He's not going to stop until he gets a chance to 'talk' to you." His friends laughed as he made air quotations and Spencer hurried in after Derek.

He wasn't sure if he had heard correct, but he thought one of them might have yelled "We know where you live" just before the door fell shut.

Spencer was terrified.

The station was relatively quiet and several of the officers came up to greet Derek.

"Hey man, what's up?" an almost seven feet tall man asked Derek and patted him heartily back.

"Damned if I know," Spencer heard Derek mutter but he was too busy trying to find his cell phone in his ever present messenger bag. He finally found it and sighed from relief as he withdrew it and found the correct contact with fingers shaking from adrenaline and fear. "Jasper, what the fuck is going on?" Derek asked suddenly only inches away from Spencer who pressed call and held the cell up to his phone.

"I'm sorry Derek, but I really have to make this-"

"_Yes?"_

"Bob, they found me."

"_Are you safe?_"

"At the moment, yeah." Derek was watching Spencer tight lipped, his arms crossed, and his foot tapping impatiently.

"_Will you be safe for the next ten minutes?_"

"I'm at a police station."

"_Good, stay put and we'll be there in... eight minutes._"

"I didn't tell you which-"

"_GPS. Stay put, we're coming!_"

"Oh." Spencer looked down on his silent phone and turned it in his hand thoughtfully. He stashed the cell phone into his pocket were it was easier to get a hold on and looked down at Derek's shoes. "I'm really sorry about all this," he muttered and his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah? Well, what _is_ this then?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you," Spencer said and lifted his gaze to Derek's face, silently pleading for understanding. Derek looked disbelieving at best. "Please don't look at me like that, Derek."

"Then tell me what the hell is going on? And who is Bob anyway, because that most certainly didn't sound like a call to a retarded uncle?" They kept their conversation in angry whispers.

"I can't tell you, not _now_. Not _here_. Just... just tell me your address and I'll, I don't know – figure something out."

"Why should I do what you ask me to, obviously there's something you aren't telling me and I want to help you but I can't if I don't know what it is you need help with."

"U.S. Marshals," a deep voice rumbled behind them and Spencer felt his heart beat quicken. "We're looking for Spencer Reid."

"Please just tell me, Derek. Please?"

Derek sighed and told him through clenched teeth and with narrowed eyes.

"Spencer?" another voice asked and Spencer forced a smile to Derek before turning and facing the men asking for him.

"I'm coming," he said and wanted to, but refrained from turning around to check for Derek's reaction. Bob placed a protective hand on his shoulder and then he was guided out and into one of three anonymous looking black sedans.

He dared a glance up at the station before they drove off and caught the eyes of a confused and frowning Derek Morgan. Then the car pulled out and Spencer covered his eyes with his hands and tried to prepare himself for the inevitable questioning.

xXx

Derek wasn't exactly surprised to find the man who he knew as Jasper Gordon standing outside his door when he opened it lated that night. He blocked the door, just standing, taking in the thin figure in front of him, shivering from cold.

"Did you walk here?" he asked and 'Jasper' shook his head.

"I took a cab, but I only had so much cash on me," he said and wet his bottom lip nervously. Derek nodded and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What's your name, your real name? They called you something at the station, what was it – Spencer?"

"Yes. I-It's- I'm... S-Spencer Reid." Jasper who apparently was called Spencer originally stuttered his way through the short sentence and Derek rubbed his eyes.

"Do you know how many questions my colleagues – my friends – asked me after you left? And I couldn't answer a single one of them," he said with a heavy sigh. Spencer looked like he was on the edge of tears.

"I-I'm so, so sorry, I-I didn't want to bring you into this and I knew I-I shouldn't have started anything b-but you were just so there and so... so perfect. I just couldn't turn you away." The last words came out as a whisper and something inside of Derek felt so good and so terrible at the same time.

"Come in, we can't talk out here in the hallway. Who knows who might com by." He stepped to the side and closed the door silently after Spencer as he walked into a small living room with only a couch a book case and a TV with several video game consoles hooked up. "Please sit," he said and gestured to the couch. Spencer sat carefully and pulled his nag into his lap, as if using it to shield him from all unknown dangers.

"W-where's Clooney?" he asked and looked up at Derek.

"I locked him into the kitchen," he said and sat down on the other end of the couch. "And now you really need to tell me what the hell just happened to us before I get the urge to throw you out the way your came."

"I'm really so sorry I got you mixed into this-" Spencer began but Derek cut him off.

"Just tell me the truth, Jas-Spencer."

"Yes. Okay, um... I, er... I'm..." Spencer took a deep breath and met Derek's gaze. "I'm in protective custody."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Less than a month until Season 7 begins!**

**Author's Note: And this chapter is all thanks to Rayne McKenna, my most beloved (and only, because how many do you really need) Sex Technician! ****All my love, dearest!**

**And thank you so much for all of your reviews! My PC is being a right bitch lately - it nearly wouldn't let me log in!**

Derek let go of the breath he realized he had been holding and discovered he had the energy to shrug a bit as he said, "I'd figured as much, what with the Marshals picking you up and such." Spencer nodded and bit his lip nervously.

Derek kept silent as he waited for Spencer to clarify.

"I'm in witness protection," he said after a while and Derek moved a cushion so he was seated more comfortably.

"Go on," he urged when he looked up and found Spencer watching him silently.

"There's a long story that explains why I made the choices I did but I won't bore you with that one. What you need to know is that my mother is sick, really sick. Schizophrenic. My father left us when I was ten and we never heard from him again. Without an income and with a mother who needed medical attention badly a friend and I decided to use our extreme intellect to do some bookmaking and earn some money.

"It went really well – our customers liked us and we were good at setting odds that would end up paying in our favor. Since I wasn't that good with people," Derek snorted and the corners of Spencer's mouth curled upwards slightly, "and still aren't, Ethan, that's my friend, took care of all the talking while I mostly did the math. That's the reason it was him who made an agreement with this guy who came to us. He was in a gang and suddenly we were in way over our heads. Suddenly we were working from fancy offices and had people working on the streets and everything. We made more money than ever so I sent my mother to a place where they knew how to take care of her and Ethan... Well, he liked the lifestyle all that money could provide.

"Then the inevitable happened and the men we worked for lost a lot of money. Ethan bolted before they could do anything to him so they beat me up for the both of us. In the hospital I told the police everything and promised to testify in any cases they wanted if only they took care of my mother.

"The thing was that I was doing a lot more than just bookmaking. Their accountant had a thing for younger men I suspect and didn't mind me looking over his shoulder when he 'worked his magic'," Spencer made air quotations, "as he called it. Forging the police called it. I have a really good memory and the police loved me, so they moved my mother to a new institution and moved me across the country."

"Oh," Derek said after a while, feeling almost breathless on Spencer's behalf. "I'm sorry about your mother. And that you felt like you had to take care of her."

"It's okay," Spencer assured. "I'm over it. What bothers me the most is that they tracked me down somehow and now I have to leave. I really like it here despite the fact that they made me cut my hair and changed my name into something made up by a drunk vampire fanatic! I have friends and a nice job here and... and this guy I really like."

"Well, I really like you too, if it's any consolation," Derek said and rubbed his hands over his scalp. Spencer's fidgeting with the strap on his bag made him restless.

They fell silent, both in deep thought.

"I sneaked out to come here," Spencer said a while. "I'm being relocated tomorrow. I'm actually pretty upset about this. With the speed the investigation have evolved recently I doubt that I'll ever get out of witness protection and then I'll never get to come back here and to be honest I just want to stay to see if these feelings I have will eventually turn out to be more than just a crush. Nothing turns out the way I want them to." He leaned back and rubbed a few tears off his cheeks with an angry swipe of his hand.

Derek watched the way the light caught the moisture in Spencer's eyelashes. Then he got up and left the room without a word and came back a moment after, dropping something on the couch between them.

"It's my spare key," he said courtly. "When you're allowed to come back I want you to wait in here for me to come home. Then we can see if that idiotic saying 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' works or not."

Spencer looked down at the key and Derek watched in breathless anticipation as several emotions crossed the others face. Anger, worry, nervousness, joy. Spencer couldn't seem to decide how to feel about his request and even if he didn't know what exactly Spencer was going through he knew that it was extensive.

It was possible that he was making it worse by saying that he wanted him to return. But he did. He wanted it so bad and Spencer himself had said that he wanted to stay.

He watched as Spencer picked up the key and slowly turned it in his hand as if he was trying to make it tell him all its hidden secrets, trying to define just what it meant. Derek wasn't too sure himself but he knew that there were some big symbolic meaning to it all.

Honestly he just wanted Spencer to stay or at least come back.

Derek couldn't quite define the sudden change of emotion within the endless depth of those intriguing, honey eyes before their owners mouth was devouring his own with a passion unparalleled. Falling back against the arm rest, the millions of fears and uncertainties budding in the back of his confused mind were quickly drown out by the hungry groan of his companion as he ground down against him with heated urgency. Derek realized that this moment would mean so many things, some of which he wasn't sure he was ready for, but they both needed this, needed it more than air. Whatever the future may bring, this chance was the only one guaranteed for them, so they both dove in, consequences be damned.

Not wasting a single second, even as they broke for said air, their hands were busily tearing at cloth barriers, flinging limbs and flying garments taking out innocent lamps and other carelessly places breakables, all decidedly far more replaceable than this moment. When two pairs of boxer-briefs were all that remained, Derek growled as he hoisted his soon to be lover up by his hips, long legs latching around his own as they stumbled through the mess toward the bedroom and essential provisions.

Derek practically flung his beautiful guest onto the bed and stood for a minute gazing appreciatively at the slender, young man spread-eagled before him. Gorgeous. Perfect. Well, almost. Crawling up the ethereal man's lithe form, he kissed him slow and deep before worshiping satin flesh with his mouth, sliding his fingers into the waistband and dragging the offending material down even as his mouth continued to explore uncharted territory. Derek wasn't going to stop until he'd tasted, and claimed, every inch of this divine creature.

Spencer bucked his hips when the soft, wet heat enveloped his leaking member with an enthusiasm that made him cry out, eyes rolling back as he mentally recorded every sensation elicited by the God-send above him. Fuck! If he kept that up, Spencer would be finished before they could even get started. It had definitely been too long. Maybe he should have put out on the first date after all…

Derek gently squeezed his balls, tongue massaging his sensitive…

"D-erek!"

Deep throat.

"S-Fuck! Derek please…"

Humming vibrations.

"Nugh…Stop!"

The older man obeyed, and Spencer bit his lip hard to keep from cuming at the sight of his throbbing cock slipping from those delicious lips. Derek looked worried.

"I-I almost-I don't want to- not yet." He said between labored breaths.

Derek grinned and leaned down to tease Spencer's swollen bottom lip extracting a long groan as the younger man decided that air wasn't really that important after all and thrust his tongue into that magic mouth. By the time the darker man came back to reality, he realized two things. One, he was now on his back. Two, judging by the white-knuckle grip he had on the comforter, Spencer was insanely talented at multi-tasking. If he closed his eyes, Derek could almost believe he was being pleasured by two people rather than the one working him over with such an intuitive and skilled ease he almost had to wonder.

Bite here, pinch there, lick here, kiss there…and holy crap! How many tongues did this guy have and how the hell was he doing that thing that made his toes curl!

"Shit! Fuck, Spence-AH!"

Twist, suck, bob, squeeze, tug.

"Oh, GOD!"

Lick, tug, squeeze, dive, hum.

"FUCK _ME_!"

Spencer popped off his dick with a slurp and smirked. "Was that a request?"

"Normally," Derek began, taking a moment to breathe, "I'd say most definitely. But I've been wanting to pound that little ass of yours since the moment I first laid eyes on you. Besides, I want to make sure you remember every time you move, so I'm sorry baby, but for now I'm going to own you."

"Pretty sure I could never forget you either way Derek, but I'm hardly going to argue with that plan." He smiled, somehow demurely through a curtain of wavy locks.

"Mmmmm…you are so worth waiting for Pretty Boy." He purred, sitting up to kiss the most irresistible lips he'd ever tasted.

"Good to hear, but I'm sick of waiting. If you don't shut up, man up, slick up and fuck me soon I'm gonna…Ooof!" Spencer found himself shoved back into the pillows, Derek kissing him with a ferocity that might have been slightly overwhelming, if the younger man hadn't been so eager for everything he was hoping to receive.

When Derek pulled away quickly to grab what they needed, Spencer pulled the pillow out from under his head and shoved it under his waist. Normally he preferred doggy style when he wanted it hard, but he wasn't about to miss every precious second he had to watch his chiseled lover move. Besides, missionary was underrated. When done right, it offered the best access to the prostate, and considering the size and curve of Derek's dick, this was going to be…

Spencer was brought from his musings by the sound of gel being squirted in great haste onto three thick digits. He took the bottle from his nearly desperate partner and squeezed a liberal amount into his own hand. When Derek began working Spencer open, the smaller man began coating his condom clad erection with long strokes.

As Derek prepared the pale beauty below him, he worked his hips a bit, sliding against the hand that gripped him, practically drooling as he imagined what the vice-like tightness around his fingers would feel like when he finally pushed inside. The suspense was almost too much to bear when he found the hidden treasure within and Spencer arched off the bed.

"AHH! God, again!"

Derek repeated his ministrations a few more times before he couldn't wait any longer and pulled his fingers from the writhing body he longed to experience. After quickly situating himself between the milky white thighs, Derek slowly pushed forward, both men's bodies shaking, humming with need.

Both let out long, low moans as the considerable phallus sunk fully into its desired destination. Spencer breathed deep, a content smile on his luscious lips and Derek began to pump into him steadily. Jesus, it felt so fucking amazing he almost went cross-eyed. You'd have thought he'd found the Holy Grail of sex.

"Oooh…faster…please Derek…need it…need you…"

Those words shot through to his groin and he worked double time, sweat beginning to spring from every pore. When Derek suddenly shifted to get a stronger hold and gain better leverage, he hit home and Spencer bellowed.

"AH! YES! M-MORE!"

"GOD BABY! UNG! So unbelievable…feel so fucking good…can't…ah…"

"Right there! Harder! Fuck me HARDER! Oh Shit! AH! YES!"

Derek folded the wiry frame practically in half, plowing into him so hard even the bed frame moaned. Just when he feared he might be hurting him, his eyes widened at the sight of Spencer, body bucking violently, face the very epitome of ecstasy, voice raw with force of his scream, as his un-touched cock spurt out between them, coating his heaving chest with more spunk than any one man should contain.

Derek was shocked into awed stillness, totally hypnotized by the sheer awesomeness of what he'd just witnessed. Spencer used this moment to flip them and just like that, Derek was being ridden by one freakishly strong thin man…and fuck if it didn't turn him on so bad he wanted to cry. Instead, he grabbed a hold of the bony hips rocking and twisting against him, thrusting up with their every down.

One other thing about Spencer that Derek had all too happily discovered: the man had the most remarkable muscle control, his inner walls contracting and massaging as they hugged him tight.

Derek had squeezed his eyes shut, holding on for dear life, but now, watching the younger man work his glistening body in wild abandon, lust filled eyes boring into him, Derek completely lost control. His orgasm hit so hard and so fast the edges of his vision darkened and he literally howled as Spencer rode out every last shudder, Clooney now barking at the other end of the house.

Ignoring the dog, Derek pulled his lover down against him, kissing him for all he was worth…with all he had left.

"Stay. Please stay." He whispered against his ear, once again holding on for dear life.

xXx

Derek woke up slowly, stretching his body leisurely and giving a small, happy sigh before everything came tumbling back to him and he stiffened, suddenly afraid to move.

Maybe, just maybe.

He moved his arm, stretching it ever so slowly, inching it further and further away but found only vast expanses of cold and very empty bed. His heart sank and he buried his face in a pillow, screaming, yelling, roaring until his throat hurt and Clooney chorused, howling from his prison in the kitchen.

He removed the pillow from his head focusing intently on breathing and keeping the thoughts away, the memories of pale, soft skin, of tightness and warmth, of wet kisses, and a presence holding onto him just as dearly as he was holding on to it.

A thought slipped through his tight defense and Derek jumped from his bed, pulling on the first suitable clothing he found in his closet, running out his apartment, down the stairs to his car. He drove as fast as he could fighting his way through the early Saturday traffic and his heart was thumping loudly in his chest when he pulled up to the curb and eyed the plain villa in the early morning light.

An early riser was walking his dog on the other side of the road and gave Derek a small nod as he got out of the vehicle, but he ignored it as he started walking, hope burning painfully through his veins.

He forced his steps, his feet somehow reluctant to close the distance and welcome certainty. He hoped for the best but feared the worst.

And really, there was a small chance that Jas-Spencer had woken up in the middle of the night and felt embarrassed about sleeping with him.

Maybe it was all just a dream.

The door was unlocked and the house was empty, every room screaming at him, laughing derisively at the tears he didn't even try to fight.

He drove home slowly, not seeing the oncoming traffic nor the street and when he pulled into his parking space he briefly wondered how he had managed to come all the way unharmed.

Briefly whishing that he hadn't.

He collapsed on the couch – even if it broke his heart to be on it it was a lot better than the bed – staring at the ceiling until Clooney made him know that he had to go out before any accidents happened.

Derek let the dog out and leashed him before pocketing his wallet and his keys. He came to a dead halt with his hand on the door handle, dropped the leash, and ran to the couch, throwing the cushions and pillows away until he rested on his knees in front of the naked couch.

The spare key wasn't there.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Never had never will. Just... keep rubbing it in - it hurts so goooood!**

**Author's Note: Wow... You guys really liked the last chappie, huh? I have to say this again, but Rayne McKenna was the lovely author of the epic-awesome smut and you should all totally go and review the hell out of her stories.**

**Right after you've read this, the very last chapter of Boy, Protected! I have to admit, I did shed a lone tear while writing this... *sigh* I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I and look just as much forward to the upcoming season premiere (yay!). Smell ya l8r!**

JJ smiled to him and poured the last of the wine into his glass before leaving the table with the now empty bottle to get a new one. Derek had the distinct feeling that she was trying to get him drunk, probably so he would finally break down and tell her _honestly_ how he was feeling.

He wasn't exactly fit to drive anymore but he swore to himself that he wouldn't break.

It was too late for him to break, too early for him to tell anyone just how he felt.

And the secret he really wanted to talk about wasn't his to tell.

"Actually, Aaron and I have something we wanted to tell you guys," Haley said from the other side of the table when JJ returned with two new bottles of red wine. Derek quickly took Emily's hand under the table and she squeezed it so hard her knuckles turned white. Hotch shot her an apologetic look over the table filled with empty plates and full wine glasses but she avoided his eyes.

"So do we," said Penelope and smiled to Kevin who was practically beaming.

"Oh," Haley said and Derek saw her smiled stiffen. "Do you want to go first?"

"No, no, you just do that." Penelope's smile grew bigger, more insistent. Derek's fingertips were slowly turning purple from lack of blood flow. Emily was very pale.

"You go first, it's kind of a big thing we're telling," Haley insisted and Hotch took her hand who was holding on to the edge of the table. Her knuckles were just as white as Emily's Derek noted.

"Well, so is our thing," Penelope retorted.

"Haley's pregnant again," Hotch said before any of the two women could say more and suddenly everybody was standing, hugging and shaking hands, congratulating Hotch and Haley and telling them just how nice it would be for Jack to finally get a younger brother or sister.

Their son was upstairs in Henry's room, probably bossing the smaller boy around. Henry looked up to Jack almost more than to his own father and Jack adored him for it.

Emily and Haley's hug was stiff but everybody politely ignored the unfriendly atmosphere. Derek handed Emily his full wine glass and she emptied it quickly in large gulps before giving it back. He started rubbing soothing circles on her back when everybody turned to Penelope and Kevin who was smiling before Penelope finally broke and squealed, "We're getting married!" causing a new string of congratulations, hugs, and handshakes.

"I'm just getting a new bottle of wine," Derek heard Emily say while he was in the middle of scolding Penny for not telling him before anybody else. He ended his scolding with a big kiss on her cheek and left for the kitchen.

Emily was leaning over the sink, sniffling suspiciously.

"Are you okay?" he asked and walked up to place a soothing hand on her shoulder.

"Not really," she replied in a thick voice and raised her hand to her face. "I guess this explains why he told me we should call it off. God, I'm so glad he got the promotion so we aren't partnered up anymore."

"I'm convenient like that," Derek said and was awarded with a dark chuckle.

"I don't know why I even agreed to this. After David finally left I was just so relieved, you know? And Aaron was the one with the all feelings, but I guess that changed."

"It didn't look like you're the only one feeling bad, judging by the look on his face," he offered and Emily angrily wiped her cheeks.

"But that's not exactly helping me now, is it?" She turned around and smiled bitterly to Derek before her face fell and she resumed crying. "Why didn't I listen to Jasper?" she sobbed.

Derek felt like he had been punched in the stomach. "What?" he croaked, suddenly completely dry in the mouth.

"I sometimes find myself wishing that he didn't disappear. He was the first one I told about the problems Dave and I was having and he really tried to help me figure everything out. When he left I suddenly didn't have anyone to talk to anymore, all you guys were just as much his friends as mine and no matter what you're going to say I didn't want to burden you with my struggles. And Jasper just offered out of nowhere, without me having to ask or anything. I feel a bit stupid for it, but I still miss him, in spite of only knowing him for a few months and him being gone for so long. He just grew on me really fast."

"Emily, he left almost two years ago," Derek objected when Emily fell silent with deep thought. Her eyes snapped to his face, anger suddenly replacing her grief.

"You're being a complete hypocrite now, it's not even funny."

"Emily-"

"Shut up, I'm more than a bit tipsy and I'd rather be angry than sad, so now I'm going to tell you something and you're just going to stay quiet and listen to what everybody wants to tell you but nobody had the guts to: You have got to get over him! You said so yourself, he left almost two years ago but you're acting as if it all happened yesterday. You don't care about your surroundings and honestly I'm surprised you noticed enough to follow me out here. It's like you're sleepwalking through your life, doing stuff because you know you have to but don't actually care about. All you ever do is work, work, work, and then go out and pick up some boy toy to take home. Why do you think I stopped going out with you? You'd abandon me within the first half hour to go chat up some twink with the same height or haircut or build as Jasper and leave me to care for myself. In gay bars, where I wouldn't have a chance of scoring in the first place!"

"Emily-"

"I told you to shut up! Because leaving me again and again like that really fucking hurt when I just needed a friend and you were too busy trying to forget some guy you went on a couple of dates with way back and left you just when things were going to get a little serious-"

"EMILY!"

"Shut u-"

"No, you shut up! Don't you dare talk about Sp-Jasper like that! It wasn't like that at all, and I'm not trying to forget I'm..." Emily watched with gaping mouth as Derek's eyes welled up in tears and he grimaced, trying to keep them back.

"You're what?" she asked, her voice surprisingly soft.

"I'm trying to remember," he admitted and cursed inwardly as a tear escaped his control and trailed down his cheek. "I'm trying to remember him. He didn't just leave, he was forced to and I can't tell you why. All _I_ really know is that he was going to be The One and before we got a chance to really soar he had to leave and now... Now I can't even remember his face."

"Oh, God. Derek," Emily said with a sigh and wrapped her arms around her friend. "I'm so sorry." He hugged her back tightly, pressing almost all the air out of her lungs. "If you weren't so very gay I would ask if you wanted to go to my apartment and have sex to forget our sorrows if only for a night," she said and Derek chuckled watery against her hair.

They ended up sitting on the floor, drinking red wine out of the bottle and crying, the only person to interrupt them being JJ who came to check on Emily and bring out a box of chocolate she had gotten for her birthday. She left the chocolate with the two depressed police officers and didn't voice her surprise at seeing them both crying before walking back to the others and declaring that she must have eaten all the chocolates already.

xXx

Derek missed Clooney on days like these when he came home late, tired and drunk to find his apartment dark, cold, and unwelcoming. There wasn't a trace of life in it anymore, not since he managed to have his last potted plant die on him after forgetting to water it for four months straight.

He had considered getting a cactus for a while but suspected that he just might end up killing that too.

Fortunately he hadn't killed Clooney but only giving the dog to his mother after a series of burglaries in her building had made her feel unsafe living alone.

He opened the door and felt for a moment the usual pang of hope, only to find it replaced with a just as familiar stab of pain when he took in the dark scene in front of him.

He threw his wallet and jacket into a corner and undressed on his way to the bedroom, so sleepy he was almost dreaming already. He was so tired that when he finally got to his bed and crawled under the covers he could pretend he wasn't alone in it and that if he reached out he wouldn't find cold emptiness but a warm body.

He let out a broken sob and buried his head in the pillow, trying to fall asleep before the pain overwhelmed him completely.

xXx

"You know what I realized last night in bed?" Emily asked the following Monday while they were sitting in their patrol car eating donuts and drinking coffee in an attempt to cheer each other up with sugar and grease.

"I don't know," Derek mumbled around a bite of donut. "And if you realized in bed I'm not sure I want to." He wiped the crumbs he had sprayed on the dash board off while ignoring Emily's glare.

"Well, I realized that we aren't going to get over them if we keep acting all sad and brokenhearted."

"Yeah?" Derek gulped down some coffee to wash away the taste of donut in his mouth and ended up burning his tongue.

"Yeah. I read somewhere that if you keep smiling, eventually you'll _feel_ happy too. Something about Endorphines I think."

Derek thought for about it for a moment. "So your suggestion is for us to pretend to be happy until eventually it'll be true."

"Basically."

"That's a lousy suggestion."

"But then at least we'll be trying."

"You are aware that this isn't going to be that easy, right?"

"I ate three pints of Ben&Jerry's this weekend. I can't afford to keep being this unhappy."

"And I guess that means I can't either."

"My goal is to not eat ice cream daily and yours is to not have casual sex. At all."

"I don't like you right now."

xXx

"I have a date tonight." Derek looked up from the incredibly boring task that was report-writing to find his partner looking down at him with an excited smile lighting up her face.

"Good for you."

"I think I'm beginning to feel good again, I haven't even had any Ben&Jerry for three weeks."

"It shows."

"Shut up. How are you feeling?" Derek wished Emily would leave him alone with all her happiness, but she stubbornly settled on the edge of his desk nursing a cup of the horrible tar they called coffee.

"I'm good. I feel good. I haven't had sex for over a month so I guess I'm on the lead."

"That's great! I thought about it a bit, and the odds that Jasper will come back to D.C. to look for you are probably so low that only Jasper could calculate them. He probably even has a new boyfriend wherever he is now." Derek stiffened and his breath hitched as pain shot though his body, making all his muscles tense and his eyes sting with tears. "God, you're so predictable," Emily breathed and ran a hand over his smooth scalp.

"You're so mean," he said hoarsely.

"I guess. But you remind me of one of those women during WWII who would wait patiently for their boyfriends to come back home to them. I don't know if I should admire you for your persistence."

"I think you should leave me alone and have a nice date tonight."

"I'll think of you."

"Don't," Derek whispered too quiet for her to hear.

xXx

It felt different Derek realized with his hand on the door handle. A nagging feeling in the back of his head keep telling him that this day, this time was different. Completely, earth shatteringly, life-changingly different. He let go of the door handle and stared at it intently. He raised his hand and noticed it was shaking. Slowly, as if in slow motion, he put his hand back on the door handle, turned it, pushed the door open.

Open to a dark, empty apartment. Unwelcoming and freezing cold.

Fighting tears and with a clenched jaw he put his things down on the stand next to the door and started walking around, turning up the heat as he should have done before leaving.

He didn't like October.

He hated it, now he thought about it.

He was fuming when a timid knock on his door and he walked angrily up to the door, threw it open and felt all air leave his lungs in a big huff.

"Hi," the man in front of him said, an uncertain smile gracing his lips.

"Hi," Derek breathed. "You... Spencer?"

"Actually no. I'm Michael Jordan now, I just moved in down the hall. Number twenty two?"

"Michael Jordan?"

"At least it's cooler than Jasper." Spencer's smile grew a bit bigger and Derek's insides felt so light, so bright and hopeful.

"Why didn't you just- I gave you a key?"

"I wanted to ask you something first." Derek nodded. "Absence... Did it make the heart grow fonder?"

"I couldn't remember your face," Derek admitted, his eyes flashing from Spencer's eyes to his nose, his cheek bones, his lips, his jaw, and back to his eyes before starting all over. He looked suddenly hurt.

"I'm sorry, I'll just..." He turned to leave and had taken several steps away before Derek realized what was happening and he jumped forward, grabbing Spencer's arm to stop him.

"Don't you ever let me forget it again," he whispered and buried his face in Spencer's shoulder.

"I won't give you the chance to," he swore quietly in Derek's ear and he raised his face to claim the lips he had yearned for for over two years.

He was never going to let them get away.

He loved October.


End file.
